It is amazing to see the difference a light fixture can make to the overall look and feel of a room or living space. In the past, you were stuck with a one-size-fits-all approach to home lighting. Today, that is no longer the case. You have the freedom to choose just how you want a room to feel when you step in. You get to choose what kind of light you want shed, whether it is clean and bright or subtle with a nice glow. An electrician in Los Angeles can take care of the installation of the light fixtures once you have come up with a decision. The team at The Electric Connection is always ready to help.

With the numerous options in styles of fixtures and an equally wide selection of light bulbs, you can really create a dramatic room. Right now, LEDs are growing in popularity. They are going to cost you more money to buy than CFLs or incandescent lights, but think of it like this; you won’t be changing that bulb for years if you don’t want to. Your Los Angeles electrician encourages you to browse the lighting aisle at your favorite home improvement store. You will find some very unique fixtures that really help create a statement or you can stick with the tried and true classical fixtures.

Rooms that don’t really need a lot of light can benefit from fixtures that use the smaller bulbs. Try having some fun with the space by going with a colored bulb. Blues, pinks and greens can create a fun space while providing plenty of light. What if you could paint a room without ever applying a drop of paint? You can with a colored bulb. All you need to do is have your new fixture installed by an electrician. Los Angeles homeowners can change the colors of bulbs with their mood, the season or to support a cause. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your new light fixture installation.

For some, flickering lights are an annoyance and can be a distraction. Others don’t notice the inconsistency in the lights. But, that fluctuation in light can signal problems in the circuitry or light fixtures in one’s home. Depending on the source of the problem, it could lead to serious safety issues in a home.

All lights flicker to some extent, based on the amount of power that is coming into the lines in your home.  If your lights flash or flicker regularly, it’s often a sign that there’s a problem – either in connection or power use. Situational flickering – like when an air conditioner starts – is a sign that there’s an issue with power supply. Simply put, the dip of the lights when the AC unit starts up occurs because the AC pulls the available electricity supply from the light. It’s usually temporary. It may also be a sign that the outdoor AC unit isn’t wired for maximum amperage. If the flickering lights aren’t related to a large appliance powering up and running, it’s a sign that there are issues – home may be brighter and more comfortable.

It is not news that LED is becoming the new standard in saving money on your lighting bill. But with every new technology, the options are endless and plentiful, and sometimes clever marketing hides what really is important. If you understand the technology, its easy. If your new to the technology, you have to try and determine what is or isn’t important. Which makes the purchase decision even harder for those trying to navigate this maze of product availability and specifications. And to confuse the consumer even more, there is a lot of data being presented that is not created based on any agreed to standard. Read 10 different product brochures on what the marketers believe is the proper solution to replace 1000W Metal Halide and you will read everything from a low as 26,000 lumens to 70,000 lumens. Or what one manufacturer calls day white is total different than what another manufacturer thinks day white is. The best advice we can give the consumer is walk through the same process we do when we select our products to sell. We look for quality, performance, efficiency and great engineering. Let’s break that down to what that means.

Are the LED Lights UL or ETL Listed. This is the safety test. No one wants an unsafe product. The product must be able to perform without any chance of hazard. Are the lights DLC or Energy Star Rated? DLC (DesignLights Consortium) is a performance standard that makes sure the lights are efficient and perform at a high standard. It typically applies only to LED lights, but lately the standard has been broadened to include lighting controls. Energy Star is a consumer standard that applies to many products including small LED screw in bulbs. Up until recently, DLC did not have a provision for screw in bulbs, but has recently changed to allow some screw in LED bulbs.

Are the factories ISO Qualified? A lot aren’t, a lot say they are but aren’t. Some will say they abide by the ISO standards. What does that mean? Some will come up with their own marketing buzz words that sound great on paper and are very clever, but aren’t ISO certified.  To us, ISO certification gives us the peace of mind that the products we supply our customers are built and tested in an exacting and consistent manner with the least amount of risk of failure.